Fresh Milled Flour Pecan Pie Bars Without Corn Syrup

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Pecan pie bars are one of my favorite Christmas desserts. They’re the best of the classic pecan pie mixed with an easy-to-grab treat (or maybe I should say easy-to-eat).

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Star Ingredients

• Butter: Butter brings the whole recipe together and gives a better flavor combination than something like coconut oil (although you could use that!).
• Maple Syrup: To make pecan pie bars without corn syrup you still need a thick liquid, so we substitute for our favorite: maple syrup. It really adds depth and flavor when paired with pecans.
• Chopped Pecans: We like the filling to be maxed out with nuttiness, and with chopped pecans you get a better crunch in every bite than if you used whole pecans.
• Whole Wheat: For an extra nutritional punch, we use a combination of freshly milled whole wheat grains – Hard White, Soft White, and Kamut.

Tools for Baking Pecan Pie Bars

• Mixing Bowls
• Grain Mill
• Hand Mixer
• Large Jelly Roll Pan/Baking Pan
• Chopper or Knife
• Parchment Paper
• Whisk
• Spatula

Essential Ingredients for Corn Syrup-Free Pecan Pie Bars

Crust

• 1 Cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 3 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour (combo of hard white, soft white & kamut)*
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Filling

• 1/4 Cup Unsalted Butter, melted
• 1 TBSP Arrowroot or Cornstarch
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 4 Eggs, room temperature
• 1.5 Cups Maple Syrup
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 2.5 Cups Pecans, chopped

How to Make Pecan Pie Bars

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line pan with parchment paper, and grease with butter wrappers
2. To make crust, combine sugar and butter in large bowl and beat with hand mixer until creamed
3. Mill flour into creamed butter and add salt, mix until resembles coarse crumbles
4. Dump crumbles onto prepared pan and press dough firmly into bottom pan
5. Bake 25 minutes, or until lightly golden on the edges
6. While crust is baking, start making the filling
7. Melt butter, whisk in arrowroot and set aside to cool slightly
8. Chop pecans to desired size and set aside
9. Lightly beat eggs in a large mixing bowl
10. Add butter, sugar, maple syrup and vanilla to eggs and whisk everything together well
11. Stir in pecans
12. Pour filling mixture into hot crust
13. Bake 25 minutes, or until filling is firm around the edges and just set in the middle
14. Cool completely in pan
15. Cut into bars and serve

Notes:

• *3 cups of milled flour is about 2-2.25 cups of wheat berries
• Room temperature ingredients are your friend in this recipe
• You can sub butter for coconut oil but the flavor will be different
• Keep your nuts in the freezer when not using for longer storage and to prevent rancidity
• Makes between 50-60 bars depending on what size you cut them

Step-By-Step Instructions for Making Pecan Pie Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line pan with parchment paper, and grease with butter wrappers.

To make crust, combine sugar and butter in large bowl and beat with hand mixer until creamed.

Mill flour into creamed butter and add salt, mix until resembles coarse crumbles.

Dump crumbles onto prepared pan and press dough firmly into bottom pan.

You can press the dough up the sides of the pan a bit.

Bake 25 minutes, or until lightly golden on the edges.

While crust is baking, start making the filling. Melt butter, whisk in arrowroot and set aside to cool slightly.

Chop pecans to desired size and set aside.

Lightly beat eggs in a large mixing bowl.

Add butter, sugar, maple syrup and vanilla to eggs and whisk everything together well.

Stir in pecans.

Pour filling mixture into hot crust.

Bake 25 minutes, or until filling is firm around the edges and just set in the middle. Cool completely in pan.

Cut into bars and serve. Size is up to you!

Flavor Variations and Customizations

This recipe also works well with a 1:1 gluten-free flour or AP flour. You can also add your twist to the recipe by trying out these fun variations:

• Add cocoa powder to the crust, or chocolate chips to the filling for a chocolate spin
• Use seasonal flavors in the filling like pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon
• Mix in a couple tablespoons of whiskey or bourbon to the filling for a boozy take

Storage Tips

We live in the Midwest, so we usually opt for the “garage cooler” to store our baked goods. These bars are fine at room temperature for a few days, but we recommend keeping them in the fridge until ready to eat or serve.

You can also easily freeze these pecan pie bars for later. Layer them in between parchment or wax paper in bags or plastic containers. They will be fine in the freezer for 2-3 months. To serve frozen bars, let them thaw, in a single layer, to room temperature on the counter.

I hope you enjoy making these delightful pecan pie bars and that you make memories while you do!

Try some of our other grab and go dessert recipes:

• 
  Sourdough Lofthouse Copycat Cookies Fresh Milled Flour
• 
  Snickerdoodles Made with Fresh Milled Flour: Soft and Chewy
• 
  Soft Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies Made with Fresh Milled Flour

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